Wisconsin
Cheapest ACA plans in Wisconsin for 2026
Cheapest Bronze plan in Wisconsin, before subsidies: Dean Health Plan Dean Focus Bronze Share in Dane County at $353/month for a 40-year-old; Dean Health Plan Dean Focus Bronze Share in Dane County at $1,128/month for a family of four (two 40-year-olds and two kids under 14). Wisconsin uses Healthcare.gov and has not adopted ACA Medicaid expansion, but BadgerCare Plus covers adults up to 100% FPL, so Wisconsin has no coverage gap (the only non-expansion state where that is true).
Cheapest plans by metal tier
Lowest 2026 monthly premium for a single 40-year-old, on-exchange, before any subsidy. Per-age figures derived from the CMS QHP Landscape file using the HHS standardized age-rating curve (45 CFR 147.102).
| Tier | Cheapest age 40 monthly | Plans statewide |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded Bronze | $353 | 858 |
| Catastrophic | $360 | 62 |
| Bronze | $388 | 91 |
| Silver | $526 | 901 |
| Gold | $531 | 736 |
| Platinum | $608 | 3 |
The actual cheapest plan in major counties
Same data the search returns: carrier, plan name, monthly premium, individual deductible, individual MOOP. Computed for a single 40-year-old, before any subsidy. Catastrophic plans excluded because adults 30+ typically need a hardship-exemption certificate to enroll.
Milwaukee County
$485/moNetwork Health · Prestige Bronze Essential + 3 Free PCP Visits
Dane County
$353/moDean Health Plan · Dean Focus Bronze Share
Waukesha County
$423/moDean Health Plan · Dean Bronze Share
Brown County
$418/moDean Health Plan · Prevea360 Bronze Share
Racine County
$468/moAnthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield · Anthem Bronze Pathway/Lean 5000 (3 Free PCP Visits + $0 Select Drugs + Incentives)
Outagamie County
$397/moNetwork Health · Prestige Bronze Essential + 3 Free PCP Visits
The actual cheapest plan for a family of four
Two 40-year-old adults and two kids in the 0-14 age band, before any subsidy. Carrier, plan name, premium, deductible, and MOOP exactly as the search would return them.
Milwaukee County
$1,549/moNetwork Health · Prestige Bronze Essential + 3 Free PCP Visits
Dane County
$1,128/moDean Health Plan · Dean Focus Bronze Share
Waukesha County
$1,351/moDean Health Plan · Dean Bronze Share
Brown County
$1,335/moDean Health Plan · Prevea360 Bronze Share
Racine County
$1,496/moAnthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield · Anthem Bronze Pathway/Lean 5000 (3 Free PCP Visits + $0 Select Drugs + Incentives)
Outagamie County
$1,269/moNetwork Health · Prestige Bronze Essential + 3 Free PCP Visits
Subsidies: federal APTC with BadgerCare Plus below 100% FPL
Wisconsin does not fund a supplemental state premium subsidy or §1332 reinsurance waiver. Marketplace help is federal only, but Wisconsin's Medicaid program (BadgerCare Plus) closes the low-income gap that other non-expansion states leave open:
- Federal Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC). Households 100-400% FPL on the PY2026 standard ACA contribution curve. The ARPA / IRA enhanced subsidies expired 2025-12-31 and are not in effect for 2026, so the hard 400% FPL cliff is back.
- Federal cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). Households 100-250% FPL enrolled in a Silver plan receive reduced deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket maximums automatically.
- BadgerCare Plus below 100% FPL. Adults 19-64 with income up to 100% FPL qualify for BadgerCare Plus (parents and childless adults alike), not for Marketplace APTC. This is the key distinction: BadgerCare Plus backfills the sub-100% range that would otherwise be a coverage gap.
No coverage gap. Wisconsin has not adopted full ACA Medicaid expansion to 138% FPL, but BadgerCare Plus covers adults up to 100% FPL, and federal APTC picks up from 100% FPL upward. Wisconsin is the only non-expansion state in the country that does not have a coverage gap. The tradeoff is that adults between 100% and 138% FPL pay net premiums on the Marketplace (with subsidies) rather than receiving Medicaid; this is a different mix than ACA expansion but still provides a coverage pathway for every income bracket.
Catastrophic plans in Wisconsin follow federal rules
Wisconsin follows the federal ACA default: Catastrophic plans are available to enrollees under age 30, or at any age with a hardship / affordability exemption. The PY2026 federal auto-expansion applies: adults 30+ automatically qualify when the lowest-cost Bronze plan exceeds the affordability threshold. APTC does not apply to Catastrophic plans.
Tobacco surcharges follow the federal 1.5x default in Wisconsin
Wisconsin applies the federal ACA default (45 CFR 147.102): carriers may charge tobacco users up to 50% more than non-users (a 1.5-to-1 rate ratio). The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) reviews rate filings under Wis. Stat. Chapter 601. No Wisconsin-specific cap below the federal 1.5x ceiling has been identified. Federal APTC does not offset the tobacco portion of the premium.
Carriers selling 2026 plans in Wisconsin
12 carriers sell 2026 plans on Healthcare.gov; 1 additional carrier offers off-exchange-only plans (not subsidy-eligible). 4,204 plans across 72 counties. Wisconsin has one of the most competitive individual markets in the country, with provider-owned and cooperative carriers. Thirteen carriers participate on-exchange for PY2026, including Security Health Plan (Marshfield Clinic), Anthem, Quartz, Dean Health Plan, Medica, Aspirus Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare, HealthPartners, Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Network Health Plan, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, MercyCare Health Plans, and CareSource (in a Common Ground Healthcare partnership). Carrier availability varies substantially by county.
| Carrier | On-exchange plans | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| Security Health Plan | 494 | 33 |
| Anthem | 477 | 66 |
| Dean Health Plan | 261 | 25 |
| Aspirus Health Plan | 240 | 20 |
| Medica | 234 | 29 |
| Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative | 234 | 22 |
| Quartz | 228 | 28 |
| UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin, Inc. | 169 | 27 |
| Network Health Plan | 143 | 11 |
| HealthPartners | 120 | 31 |
| Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin | 39 | 4 |
| MercyCare HMO, Inc. | 12 | 5 |
Also selling off-exchange only
These carriers sell plans directly (not through Healthcare.gov). Off-exchange plans are not eligible for federal APTC or state subsidies.
| Carrier | Off-exchange plans |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation | 6 |
Enrollment
Open Enrollment for 2026 coverage runs November 1, 2025 through January 15, 2026. Enroll by December 15 for a January 1 effective date; December 16 through January 15 takes effect February 1. Special Enrollment is available year-round for qualifying life events.
Direct enrollment: healthcare.gov.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest ACA plan in Wisconsin for 2026?
The cheapest Bronze-tier plan a 40-year-old can enroll in without paperwork is Dean Health Plan Dean Focus Bronze Share in Dane County at $353 per month before subsidies. Data refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z.
Does Wisconsin use Healthcare.gov?
Yes. Wisconsin participates in the federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM), so enrollment and subsidy applications run through healthcare.gov. Wisconsin does not operate a state-based exchange.
Has Wisconsin expanded Medicaid?
No, not under the ACA expansion framework. However, Wisconsin's BadgerCare Plus program covers adults up to 100% FPL (parents and childless adults alike), and adults above 100% FPL qualify for federal APTC on the Marketplace. Wisconsin is the only non-expansion state in the country without a coverage gap.
Why does Wisconsin have no coverage gap?
Other non-expansion states cap Medicaid eligibility for non-disabled adults at thresholds well below 100% FPL (or exclude childless adults entirely), leaving a gap between Medicaid's upper limit and APTC's lower limit (100% FPL). Wisconsin caps BadgerCare Plus eligibility right at 100% FPL for all adults, so there is no income range where someone is ineligible for both Medicaid and APTC.
Which carriers offer Wisconsin plans on Healthcare.gov?
Wisconsin has one of the most competitive Marketplaces in the country. For PY2026, expect Dean Health Plan, Security Health Plan (Marshfield Clinic), Quartz, Network Health, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Children's Community Health Plan, and Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative. County-level availability varies substantially.
Does Wisconsin have a state premium subsidy on top of federal APTC?
No. Wisconsin does not fund a state premium assistance program or §1332 reinsurance waiver. The only financial help for Marketplace enrollees is federal APTC and CSRs, and the ARPA/IRA enhanced credits expired at the end of 2025.
Compare Wisconsin with other states
- Michigan (shares a border)
- Illinois (shares a border)
- Iowa (shares a border)
- See all 51 jurisdictions side by side
Browse county pages in Wisconsin
County-level pricing pages with the cheapest plan in each county.
Browse city pages in Wisconsin
City-level pricing pages for major Wisconsin cities.
Carriers in Wisconsin
Per-carrier 2026 pricing pages with the cheapest plan from each carrier.
Sources
- HealthCare.gov for enrollment, OEP dates, and federal APTC / CSR application.
- Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) for rate review, carrier filings, and consumer guidance.
- BadgerCare Plus: Wisconsin Department of Health Services for BadgerCare Plus eligibility up to 100% FPL.
- KFF: Wisconsin State Health Facts for BadgerCare Plus and Marketplace enrollment context, including the no-coverage-gap posture.
- CMS 2026 OEP National Snapshot for federal Marketplace enrollment context.
- CMS QHP Landscape Individual Medical 2026 for plan availability, premiums, and metal tiers.
Plan year 2026, last refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z. Full pricing pipeline + regulatory references at methodology; ACA terminology in the glossary.